Well folks, we made it through 2025, and what a ride! Facing cuts to national parks and historic preservation at the federal level, I sure did wonder if I’d be making any progress on my quest this year or watch the bottom drop out from under it! I’m approaching the finish line, though. I had fewer trips to schedule and had the longest gaps between them in all the years since I started my adventures, but boy, were these trips action-packed! I explored the outer reaches of the Pacific and some of the wildest parts of Alaska. I feasted on huckleberries in the North Cascades and laid to rest the ashes of an old rancher in Bondurant. I spent a lot of time in propellor planes. I saw history vanish and history return, said goodbye and hello, and remembered that every moment is to be savored along the way! With only 10 national parks and one Wonder of the World to go, I’m going to make this one heck of a conclusion! But first, a look back on my 10 best photos of 2025!
1. History is Burning!
Oh gosh, what a rough start to the year. After someone burned down the Bidwell Mansion back in December, another blaze roared through Altadena in January, threatening Christmas Tree Lane! And that wasn’t the only California landmark under attack in 2025. Chinese Camp burned, and thieves targeted more landmark plaques than ever: Casa de Cota, Site of First County Free Library Branch in California, Site of Mission San Pedro y San Pablo de Bicuner, Old Fiddletown, Sutter’s Landing, Los Baños, and Riverton, as far as anyone is keeping track. After all these years of seeking them out, it was really hard to watch these special places be destroyed. Without much I could do about the damage, I still went out to Altadena to volunteer. It’s really important to pick at least one way to help, then act on it!
2. Far Flung Paradise!
In February, I journeyed across the Pacific to the westernmost reaches of U.S. territories, exploring the tropical island paradises of American Samoa and Guam! American Samoa was so remote that U.S.-based phones didn’t work there at all! Once there, I got to experience the legendary might of the ocean with a visit to Turtle and Shark, an amazing place where it’s said those legendary sea animals will come to visit if you sing the right song! Despite being one of the most famous places on the island, I was all alone with the roaring tide and the curiosity over what wonders lay just under the surface!
3. Dog Days of Summer!
When I’m between adventures, I can be a little… lazy. And that’s especially true now that I have less blog writing to do than ever! It’s a good thing I reconnected with my old pal, Zaida, the rescue poohuahua, over the summer! When I had some big hikes coming up at the end of the year, Zaida paced me at Runyon Canyon, and boy, did she kick my butt! I think it’s super important to keep good friends like Zaida around to keep you on track and adventure-ready!
4. The Least Visited National Monument!
Oh my gosh! This was the year for checking off big ones, the white whales of national parking, and no Moby was more Dick than Aniakchak National Monument, a place so remote and wild that the chances of actually setting foot inside its centerpiece caldera are really slim! In fact, my first attempt to land at Aniakchak was disrupted by 40mph wind gusts, and it was only an act of absurd hope, maybe desperation, on my birthday that I tried again. After sweating pretty profusely (this was no cheap do-over) we did, in fact, land in the caldera for a whopping fifteen minutes before the storm blew up again! The world is feeling tamer all the time, but not Aniakchak, and with no official park sign to photograph, I brought my own!
5. Tents on the Tundra!
Even now, after all these years of adventuring, I’m still finding new ways to experience national parks, and back in June, I joined a guided trek with Alaska Alpine Adventures into the wilds of Katmai National Preserve! Apart from reconnecting with my love of camping, this trip also introduced me to wind screens, bear barrels, and iodine drops! After so many wilderness trips on my own, it was kind of refreshing traveling with a small group. Plus, the food was fantastic! It really made me rethink how I pack for adventure, and—wouldn’t you know it—it inspired me to get back out in the wilderness again later in the year!
6. So Long, Señor Castorieti!
Señor Castorieti, the snow beaver, has popped up as my winter companion since 2012, and I was happy to see him a couple of times on my Alaska trip, including way up in the misty mountains surrounding McCarthy. Using malachite and azurite dug up by the old Bonanza Mine, I gave him his most colorful face yet, but poor Señor Castorieti succumbed to the steep slopes after all. I’m not likely to encounter any snow on my upcoming trips, which makes me kind of sad. I hope someone else will remember to build Señor Castorieti on their future trips and hear his icy wisdom! Revisit his appearances here!
7. Cairn Composition!
Of all my photos this year, I like the composition of this one most! I snapped it after an exhausting day hike to the Sourdough Mountain Lookout in North Cascades National Park, and I think it really makes the landscape look stark and wild, even if I could look down at the road on the valley floor from here! For my first solo backpacking trip, I’d say it was a real 10/10, mostly because of the huckleberries!
8. Way Down in Troll Town!
On my visit to Tennessee over Labor Day Weekend, I got to visit the amazing 5 Arts Studio, makers of the Arensbak trolls since since 1959! Luckily, these trolls weren’t hungry giants or internet bullies, but friendly wood spirits! On my visit, I was not only treated to a private tour by the nicest folks, but I also got asked to help them launch their newest troll, the Travel Troll! Here we are preparing to embark on this adventure, cheered on by a chorus of other, more established, trolls from all backgrounds and professions!
9. Exile to the Remote of the Remote!
As I’ve ticked off parks on my way to the finish line, I’d been wondering for five years if one park would delay me beyond my planned conclusion date. That park was Kalaupapa National Historical Park! Closed to visitors since the COVID-19 pandemic, I’d been watching their website obsessively for five years. this year, they reopened, and I mashed the Book button as fast as I could! It was well worth it to finally set foot in the last “leper colony” in America, learn about its sad past, and reflect amid the beauty of the world’s tallest sea cliffs! And in an odd way, I was so relieved to be back on track. Am I getting tired of national parks?
10. A Historic Collaboration!
Aesthetically, you might think this is an odd choice for my 10 Best list, but it’s what this photo captures that I find really neat. Underneath a copy of the original California Bear Flag, you’ll see the letters of a newly restored landmark plaque peeking through. In the right third of the frame, you’ll see representatives of the four organizations who cooperated on replacing it: the Native Daughters of the Golden West, the California Landmark Foundation, the Native Sons of the Golden West, and of course, the Bill Beaver Project! Getting to work with some of the biggest names in California history really renewed my hope that we’ll find a way to save the landmark program from thieves and vandals and keep history alive in the locations where it happened!
So this year was bookended by history, some gone, some reclaimed. I’ve got next year’s adventures almost completely booked already, along with some exciting new hats—yup, multiple hats! As I near the end of my quest, you can bet it’ll be with a big beaver bang! Stay tuned as we kick off the Year of the Fire Horse!
Happy New Year!
